I give this game a solid 8. It wasn't as great as the very first in the DA series, but it isn't horrible either. The way developers dumb-down games to appeal to the console audience is the major downfall. The new skill trees leave a lot to be wondered about. But the story is good, the game-play engaging, and there is a lot more to this game than meets the eye. Sure the story isI give this game a solid 8. It wasn't as great as the very first in the DA series, but it isn't horrible either. The way developers dumb-down games to appeal to the console audience is the major downfall. The new skill trees leave a lot to be wondered about. But the story is good, the game-play engaging, and there is a lot more to this game than meets the eye. Sure the story is short, but there are tons of side quests. The interpersonal interaction with the companions is not as good as before, but that doesn't degrade the experience very much in my opinion. All in all, if you like DA you will like the game, but chances are you wont love it.…Expand

Dragon Age II is another sequel that would have been better as a new IP. Looking at it as a new IP, it has a flowing combat system, decent customization, good story, and interesting characters. This, however, is not a new IP. This is the sequel to one of the best RPGs i have ever played. Compared to DA:O the customization is laughable, the leveling is limited, combat animation is moreDragon Age II is another sequel that would have been better as a new IP. Looking at it as a new IP, it has a flowing combat system, decent customization, good story, and interesting characters. This, however, is not a new IP. This is the sequel to one of the best RPGs i have ever played. Compared to DA:O the customization is laughable, the leveling is limited, combat animation is more interesting and flowing, but is very limited, and the characters are too stuck in their roles. Essentially the only thing that they improved was making the combat more flowing, especially for the mages. Everything else was cut by 1/3. you have only one race instead of 3, cutting your character options by 1/3, any non mage class is stuck in archery, 2handed swordsmanship, etc instead of being able to choose between 3, and you are stuck in one city and the mountain out back instead of being able to travel around a huge map. Will I buy it? Yes, once the price drops to 1/3 that of DA:O.…Expand

Looking at the other user reviews for this game, it almost looks like someone is using dummy accounts to spam-post slight variations of 2-3 different raving hate-fueled reviews with random marks from 0-2. Don't trust the spam-reviews, this game is solid. It's no Dragon Age Origins, but it's still a good RPG with a story that builds well and good character development if you get past theLooking at the other user reviews for this game, it almost looks like someone is using dummy accounts to spam-post slight variations of 2-3 different raving hate-fueled reviews with random marks from 0-2. Don't trust the spam-reviews, this game is solid. It's no Dragon Age Origins, but it's still a good RPG with a story that builds well and good character development if you get past the first 5 hours. Contrary to the apparent bulk of reviewers, you CANNOT beat the game in 10 hours even if you rush the main quest. I took the day off of work yesterday and played for 21 hours and haven't even gotten past the initial town.…Expand

The User ratings have this one almost dead on. No it's not the worst game out there but just because you can make a game look relatively pretty doesn't mean it's good. Dragon age suffers from one game breaking flaw, greed. EA and Bioware show their true colors here. They have changed everything that made Dragon Age Origins such an incredible game. Not in the name of improvement but to sellThe User ratings have this one almost dead on. No it's not the worst game out there but just because you can make a game look relatively pretty doesn't mean it's good. Dragon age suffers from one game breaking flaw, greed. EA and Bioware show their true colors here. They have changed everything that made Dragon Age Origins such an incredible game. Not in the name of improvement but to sell more copies. I do see how some of the changes could have been for the better if done properly yet others are just senseless. The battle system needed reworked if only for the console versions. However the changes they made left it feeling less like an RPG and more like a bad hack and slash. Gone are all the deep character customizations. You simply choose gender and class. No more custom backstory. If this was any other franchise it would have been better off. Calling it a sequel to Dragon Age simply ruined it. No one buys a sequel hoping it will be more simplistic with a simple story and fewer options. If you buy a sequel to a beloved franchise you expect it to improve on itself. The story is borderline garbage and the way it's delivered is even worse. Don't get excited for some upcoming exploration or engaging plotline as the game will simply skip ahead just as you're getting into it. Yes this dungeon looks exactly like the last one just make a left here instead of a right. Bioware has openly admitted to using the same dungeon layout multiple times. Here is the bottom line. I like many others was expecting a sequel. Hoping to continue my story or atleast flesh out the world of Dragon Age. Instead I was sold a crappy 5 yr old baldurs gate wannabe with modern graphics. I was not expecting Mass Effect Medieval Edition. Bioware is hands down the most overrated developer around. They consistantly make terrible games that have great stories. They really should just consider making movies instead of games. We would all be better off.…Expand

Waste of time and money, shouldn't be labeled as an RPG, more of an action/adventure hack & slash... Loved DAO, so disappointed with this game:( Why would you take perfectly good game and ruin it? for a quick profit that's why

DA II failed to be remotely as good as the first game. Much as Mass Effect 2 was nowhere as good as the first one, Bioware has tried to make it "easier" with a lot less elements of role play. Instead of making a great PC game, they have made a console game and ported it over the PC. I give the first one a 10, this one was hardly worth playing, was it not for Isabela's great lines, itDA II failed to be remotely as good as the first game. Much as Mass Effect 2 was nowhere as good as the first one, Bioware has tried to make it "easier" with a lot less elements of role play. Instead of making a great PC game, they have made a console game and ported it over the PC. I give the first one a 10, this one was hardly worth playing, was it not for Isabela's great lines, it wouldn't be.…Expand

Bioware's identity crisis and tribute to the color brown gets a sequel with an even greater identity crisis. If Dragon Age: Origin's crisis came from its overly generic universe, it was at least an honest attempt to recreate the magic of Baldur's Gate, even if it had none of the charm of Forgotten Realms, needless micromanaging, and 1% of the monster variety (Darkspawn and dragons, yay. IBioware's identity crisis and tribute to the color brown gets a sequel with an even greater identity crisis. If Dragon Age: Origin's crisis came from its overly generic universe, it was at least an honest attempt to recreate the magic of Baldur's Gate, even if it had none of the charm of Forgotten Realms, needless micromanaging, and 1% of the monster variety (Darkspawn and dragons, yay. I thought dragons were supposed to be hard to kill and usually optional?). In Dragon Age: 2, the identity crisis extends to the gameplay, where it either feels like a dumbed down version of Dragon Age: Origins, or a really bad God of War, depending on your personal preferences. This is really too bad because the dialogue is solid; they replaced the mute character of Dragon Age: Origins with a Mass Effect-style dialogue system and the story is decent enough for an RPG, in my opinion. It just doesn't feel like enough to make up for the bastard-child gameplay.…Expand

Listen to the people who played the game for than a little bit. It is clear that some people have an agenda to smear this game. I will point out the good and the bad in bullets. GOOD: * (Less Talking)- The thing that bugged me most was the British accents which seemed to not shut up. Almost exactly the same as Mass Effect also the main character speaks as apposed to standing there standingListen to the people who played the game for than a little bit. It is clear that some people have an agenda to smear this game. I will point out the good and the bad in bullets. GOOD: * (Less Talking)- The thing that bugged me most was the British accents which seemed to not shut up. Almost exactly the same as Mass Effect also the main character speaks as apposed to standing there standing every one his thoughts via brainwave. *(Combat) - Its faster and more appealing that before. *(The world) - The world is much better detailed and fleshed out than in origins. All the environments look great.BAD * (No variation with races) - the thing I liked most of Origins was that you can build your character even with race. Now you just start off with a human and that's that. Not a Huge Issue but one that people may find irritating. *(Not tactical cam) - If you played on PC you would know that the camera can be zoomed really far back like in Balder's Gate where you can tactically plain your attacks. Not in this game. However due to the games ability to be modded not a big issue because chances are people are making that kind of mod as I am typing. (( All and all a game defiantly worth checking out. Lucky for you there are demos on all systems and PC)…Expand

Compared to Dragon Age: Origins this game is totally uninspired and boring. It seems they took everything that was good in the prequel, removed it and replaced it with everything that was bad in DA:O. The combat system is too simplified and the story never takes off.

I would have given this game 7 or 8/10 if it wasn't called DA2. This is not the sequel the first game deserved and is a traversty to the RPG genre set forth from its predcessor. Having said that, if you ignore the title and assume this game isn't within the DA lineage then it is actually quite entertaining, even though it is a hack & slash 'RPG'.

One of the most overrated games ever, second to Treyarch's works. You say graphics are good? In my opinion old Dungeon Siege looks better and juicier. Game looks like poor MMORPG. Dialogues are flat, boring, predictable, and trying so hard to be epic, that are actually parody of RPG genre. The whole history of hero's family is like "The Bold and the Beautiful" or "Dallas" with dragons. TheOne of the most overrated games ever, second to Treyarch's works. You say graphics are good? In my opinion old Dungeon Siege looks better and juicier. Game looks like poor MMORPG. Dialogues are flat, boring, predictable, and trying so hard to be epic, that are actually parody of RPG genre. The whole history of hero's family is like "The Bold and the Beautiful" or "Dallas" with dragons. The most funny thing is the masturbation mode for 12 y.o.: dragon-sized boobs everywhere. Hell yeah, I just drowned in epicness, singing the song of the old days. What is good? I really don't know, maybe music here and there? This game is not BAD, it deserves more than 3.0 (user score at the time I'm writing) - I'd say it's something between 5 and 6 (7 if you really love dragons). It still offers adventure and ugly creatures to kill and for sure it's better than Arcania.. But in order to balance these crazy optimistic rates I give it 1. Because I have enough of this stupid trend, that if BioWare made this, or Bethesda made that, or some part of the title says "Call of Duty", than we give 8 or 9 at the very beginning and then we play the game. No, folks, all the glitters is not gold! And Dragon Age 2 don't deserve to be called VERY good game (8/10), fantastic game (9/10) or masterpiece (10/10). This game has nothing more to offer, than dozens of similar RPG games. My score is my protest against such practice mentioned above. (Sorry for bad spelling).…Expand

Pros: Combat is more fluid and fun, graphics are of high quality if un-optimized on the PC, texturing is attractive

Cons: Single location, multiple reuse of maps, missing main story/thread, random quests that pop into and out of your journal, seem to have little effect on the world, lackluster companions with fewer and more black and white dialog choices

This game is an embarrassment to the western RPG genre. Unpolished, choppy, and broken gameplay. Horrendous voice acting. And a soundtrack that makes me want to put on Justin Bieber just to drown it out. Oh lets not forget graphics. The Graphical presentation was just horrible. I strained my eyes on this game more than from playing Custard's Revenge on a 1080p flat panel monitor. The firstThis game is an embarrassment to the western RPG genre. Unpolished, choppy, and broken gameplay. Horrendous voice acting. And a soundtrack that makes me want to put on Justin Bieber just to drown it out. Oh lets not forget graphics. The Graphical presentation was just horrible. I strained my eyes on this game more than from playing Custard's Revenge on a 1080p flat panel monitor. The first Dragon Age was amazing, and I really had high hopes for this game, but in the end it turned into another over hyped, over advertised piece of crap. If you buy this game get ready to regret your purchase because I know I regret mine.…Expand

This has been review bombed because it's the cool thing to do, however I am going to review the game based on my 40+ (and counting) hours I have spent on it. Currently on my 2nd playthrough. First, my credentials: I'm a hardcore girl gamer. I spent countless hours on Baldur's Gate, NWN, Planescape Torment, Mass Effect to name a few, and of course DA:O. Second of all, I absolutely love itThis has been review bombed because it's the cool thing to do, however I am going to review the game based on my 40+ (and counting) hours I have spent on it. Currently on my 2nd playthrough. First, my credentials: I'm a hardcore girl gamer. I spent countless hours on Baldur's Gate, NWN, Planescape Torment, Mass Effect to name a few, and of course DA:O. Second of all, I absolutely love it for some inexplicable reason, which may have something to do with a rather engaging story requiring a lot of your input and attention, fast paced visceral (not just a buzz word) combat, beautiful looking art, some cute injokes (about the world being too brown, lulz) amazing attention to detail, a levelling system that is simplified but actually makes more real world sense than the previous one did, non-repetition (something I had a big gripe with in DA:O) and some neat throwbacks to your imported DA:O save. I have ALWAYS wanted to see where my character choices would take me over time, so it is extremely gratifying to be able to play over multiple years and really have a big impact on the events of the game, rather than just playing through them. My favourite thing about RPGs is designing characters, and in Dragon Age 2 they've allowed you plenty of room to shape Hawke how you want. There's also the thing where no matter what speech option you pick, Hawke comes off sounding completely badass and awesome. The voice acting is phenomenal. It's also worth noting that every character is voiced and lip-synched, you don't do any reading. Not long ago that was unheard of. I was unprepared for how emotionally invested I got into this, which is party why I'm rating it so highly. I really cared when... okay no spoilers, but there are some character deaths that kind of got to me. At first I was determined to play a "renegade" character, but I found myself responding to conversations with the choices I really would pick in real life, because I was so damn invested.

One other thing I really want to mention is that I am replaying immediately after finishing the game, as I can't bear to think about all the stuff I missed by choosing certain options. I NEED TO KNOW WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED. Why it's not a 10/10: Some things were dumbed down too far, like conversation choices. It by no means stopped me from enjoying the game, but micromanagement is a popular hobby of a lot of hardcore gamers, so it's nice to have the option there. Secondly, it's too short, and the ending is rushed, I'm guessing this is because Bioware are looking forward to rolling out masses of DLC to us. I did notice the price on steam was a bit less than what I paid for DA:O on release date, (as far as I recall I paid $100 for it, which is common with AAA new releases, keep in mind I'm Australian and everything is expensive) paying $70 for a new release is a little easier to swallow. Awakening was a great expansion, so I'm up for more of that. Anyway, I just wanted to balance out the negitivity as I have really enjoyed this game and it's up there with ME2 for me. A lot of people had a whinge about how bad DA:O looked when it came out, and I have to wonder if they bothered playing it on a decent PC. These games look great pumped up to max settings. If you can't run those, then don't whinge. If you have a PS3, reflect on your inability to upgrade your video card.

Seriously guys, stop looking for flaws and just enjoy it. It's not a perfect game for the reasons I stated above, but it really is worth playing for anyone remotely into the fantasy genre. I'm curious how many hours some of the other reviewers here spent on the game. Did they just play the demo? I thought the demo made the game look pretty **** actually. It's apparently cool to hate on big companies (that secretly review their own games) but it's not cool to just jump on a bandwagon without evaluating something for yourself first. I tell you what though, I am damn well sick of killing abominations. Makes me almost want to lock those mages up. Sorry Anders, that was a joke. I DIDN'T MEAN IT ANDERS.…Expand

Pros: Ambient music is nice and not intrusive. Voice acting, the characters are believable. The storyline is all right thus far. Some eyebrows raised at Aveline, but. The Qunari are excellently portrayed, even the physical changes seem right. Cons: The graphics are on par or worse than the original. The camera keeps shifting up, obscuring large portions of the field unless you use thePros: Ambient music is nice and not intrusive. Voice acting, the characters are believable. The storyline is all right thus far. Some eyebrows raised at Aveline, but. The Qunari are excellently portrayed, even the physical changes seem right. Cons: The graphics are on par or worse than the original. The camera keeps shifting up, obscuring large portions of the field unless you use the keyboard. Combat is way too quick, it allows little or no time for strategy or adjustments, it's usually over before you have time to implement them, anyway (it literally took about 10-12 hours before I had to use my first health potion.) The characters are way too far away, meaning you often have to squint to figure out what the hell you're doing. Sets are constantly recycled, even in the main storyline. I can understand side-quests, but you could have crapped out a level or two for the main line. And, the minimap does not accurately reflect the area. Bioware, seriously, what the hell were you thinking? Barely playable, definitely not worth $60. Dragon Age 2 was seriously rushed. Ten of these cons are easily fixable with a little time and beta testing. Didja skip a step? And, to the critics: What game were you playing, and or/smoking? I'll take both.…Expand

A major step back from the DA:O and Awakening. As I loved DA:O and all the addons, now I'm really disappointed. It's not even RPG, it's now just hack&slash console game - and as for a console game it might be pretty decent, but as for PC gameplay - it sucks.

I think people are being a bit tough on DA2. When compared against Bioware Standards, it is indeed their worst product to date. But that's like saying the smallest diamond in the mine- I'll take it. When compared to other games that have been released lately, DA2 was a good reprieve. I think it suffers from Apple-ification. Origins was slow, clunky, half the skills were worthless,I think people are being a bit tough on DA2. When compared against Bioware Standards, it is indeed their worst product to date. But that's like saying the smallest diamond in the mine- I'll take it. When compared to other games that have been released lately, DA2 was a good reprieve. I think it suffers from Apple-ification. Origins was slow, clunky, half the skills were worthless, half of the characters had no personality (Sten, Lelianna, Oghren Pre-Awakening? Really?), the dwarf area... ugh. The dwarf area... Dragon Age 2 tried to streamline all of Origins' flaws. Battles were quicker. Travel was quicker. Quest Markers were visible from far away. Not every conversation involves 6 soliloquies. Unlike most people, I actually rather enjoy the plot. Everything that was changed sounds like it SHOULD be better it just... it kind of plays itself- and you're along for the ride. Like the Matrix. The first had a few action scenes that were intense because of the lack of action scenes elsewhere. The second was almost entirely action scenes, and by the end you were ready to fall asleep. I think developers should look at DA2 and see what happened, what went wrong. I think a lot can be learned at what happens if you oversimplify and over-streamline your game. There is something to be said about requiring a bit of effort before the reward... otherwise it quickly loses its appeal.

I can't give DA2 less than a 6. Because it IS all good stuff. But what it lacks is what is missing between said good stuff.…Expand

As a caveat, I will state that I didn't even play the game without the high res texture pack. The moment I went into the options and saw that option greyed out, I went "WTF?" and within 20 minutes (including locating/downloading) this pack I was ready to go. Key system specs would be:

Intel Q6600 2.4ghz Quad w/4GB RAM
Geforce GTX460
1900x1200 Res is my min play standard even if I haveAs a caveat, I will state that I didn't even play the game without the high res texture pack. The moment I went into the options and saw that option greyed out, I went "WTF?" and within 20 minutes (including locating/downloading) this pack I was ready to go. Key system specs would be:

Intel Q6600 2.4ghz Quad w/4GB RAMGeforce GTX460

1900x1200 Res is my min play standard even if I have to lower some other settings. The "Very High" setting was apparently too much for my system even with AA and anisotropic filtering off. Whatever is in that "Very High" package is hefty to say the least. Lowering this setting one notch down (And conversely turning ON the anisotropic filtering at max) found me playing the game with what I would state as much improved graphics compared to the original title.

If you were familiar with DA, then you probably already knew that it was much more action-adventure with some token RPG elements thrown in for good measure. If you thought otherwise then you may not enjoy the sequel because it hones in even more on these elements much in the same way Mass Effect 2 shed some of the RPG undertones of its predecessor.

You will find the talent (ability) system fairly shallow compared to most deep skill-set RPGs just as the first DA. That said, they did arrange the individual skills a bit better to allow you to pick and choose a bit more easily. That said, most of the deeper skills have pre-reqs that will require you to take some abilities whether you want them or not. All in all, I find that the character abilities and the encounters play together more nicely than the original DA.

The Tactics screens seem quite a bit improved although I have not tinkered too extensively with these yet. The Custom Tactics have done a good job of automatically incorporating into my followers lists of tactics and I have found my followers to operate much better overall in regards to controlling themselves in combat vs. the original.

The NPCs and monsters are still not too broad in scope when compared to say AD&Ds Monstrous Compendium, but I feel this is more artistic direction and how they wanted their world to be than any serious limitation to create monsters on their part. That said, I would like to see some more diversity in NPCs. On this subject though, I found I wanted to tear my eyes out if I saw another darkspawn in the original, whereas the mixture of blood mages, undead, giant spiders, rock wraiths has livened things up at least a little bit. In fact on the subject of rock wraiths that has been one of the first times I've seen Dragon Age try and use the environment for tactical decisions in the fight. It seems like they've taken much more advantage of 'wave'-based encounters than they did in the original but still keep them relatively fast-paced.

The voice acting is top notch and I've found myself actually listening to the brief quips from random NPCs and actually listening to the individual stories a lot more carefully. While perhaps not as epic-feeling in scope, I have enjoyed my slow rise to power in Kirkwall as the Champion, learning about the tensions between various races and factions along the way.

Expect a radial dialogue like in Mass Effect 2. While I have become a fan of Bethesda's Fallout 3 dialogue system for RPGs, it is not without faults either. For me, the Mass Effect 2 dialogue system just seemed a natural fit for the action-adventure with mild RPG elements that this game is.…Expand

This game is boring, like its predecessor. It's also shorter in length, (as indicated by the size of installation and number of words written for dialogue, compared to DA1), and dumbed down to a hack and slash game. Games like this or CoD:Black Ops make me question the validity of critic reviews. Somehow these 'big' games get positive reviews no matter what, even when the majority ofThis game is boring, like its predecessor. It's also shorter in length, (as indicated by the size of installation and number of words written for dialogue, compared to DA1), and dumbed down to a hack and slash game. Games like this or CoD:Black Ops make me question the validity of critic reviews. Somehow these 'big' games get positive reviews no matter what, even when the majority of players disagree. If there is a lesson to be learnt, it is that you should trust reader reviews, at least on this website; they're really helpful and detailed. Critic reviewers, on the other hand, are probably forced to write positive reviews on famous games made by famous developers, or maybe they're too scared to be honest about how bad these games really are. Ugh.

Mass Effect series is much better than DA in my opinion. DA has bad story, bad graphics, bad dialogues (cheesy), and boring combat. DA2 "improved" this lackster combat by simply transforming it into a hack and slash game that can be enjoyed by simpletons who like to press a button. (Dynasty Warriors anyone?) Unlike DA1, DA2 is made with consoles in mind, and as such, the depth of the gameplay is gone from what I already considered a mediocre game. Last but not least, no, I am not blinded by PC elitism; I enjoy console games as much as PC games. I just think that DA was better off as a PC game. If I really wanted a hack and slash game, I could find many games superior to this. But there aren't that many PC RPGs anymore. DA was never to my liking, but at least it rejuvenated a dying genre. DA2 does not.…Expand

Great game so far! For the equipment customization options we have lost we got much more developed and usable skill tree's and a major graphics overhaul if you have the rig for it. The combat is fast and exciting, maybe a little too fast, and the animations are a nice change from the clumsy puppet show motion of the last one. The tatics screen is far better worded and actually useful. TheGreat game so far! For the equipment customization options we have lost we got much more developed and usable skill tree's and a major graphics overhaul if you have the rig for it. The combat is fast and exciting, maybe a little too fast, and the animations are a nice change from the clumsy puppet show motion of the last one. The tatics screen is far better worded and actually useful. The downside is your toons seem to be overly dependent on it to actually trigger any of their skills. My tank lady absolutely refused to used shield slam till I scripted it in.

My only complaints are so far it has seemed very on rails (3 hours in), almost as much movie as game. And in cities its frustrating having to run around with you tab key held down so you can actually find the vendors etc. The inventory screen is reminiscent graphically of x-com and looks slightly rushed to market.…Expand

A dumbed down collection of kicks in the balls version of ORIGINS. Don't bother. But probally the biggest kick in the balls, is at the very start: You can only pick one race. What a rip-off! That's part of what made Origins so fun! Another kick in the balls, is that they dumped the whole "Go from place to Place" aspect (Another feature that makes Origins so fun) and instead you're stuck inA dumbed down collection of kicks in the balls version of ORIGINS. Don't bother. But probally the biggest kick in the balls, is at the very start: You can only pick one race. What a rip-off! That's part of what made Origins so fun! Another kick in the balls, is that they dumped the whole "Go from place to Place" aspect (Another feature that makes Origins so fun) and instead you're stuck in this boring, lifeless, dumb town with NPCs who keep spouting the words "Hello. Hawke, is it?" every time you get within a 5-feet radious of them. GAAH!!…Expand

I would much rather replay Dragon Age Origins than have spent money on something that is not as well polished as I have come to expect. It's not horribad, it's just not what I wanted. Your mileage may vary.

I am extremely disappointed in Dragon Age II. I should have done the research, I should have waited a few days and read the reviews. Instead at 10 AM today I was at Gamestop picking up my copy not knowing just how disappointed I was about to be. I expected a lot of this game, what I did not expect to receive was a dumbed-down almost direct console port of a video game. The graphics lookI am extremely disappointed in Dragon Age II. I should have done the research, I should have waited a few days and read the reviews. Instead at 10 AM today I was at Gamestop picking up my copy not knowing just how disappointed I was about to be. I expected a lot of this game, what I did not expect to receive was a dumbed-down almost direct console port of a video game. The graphics look terrible even with the "high-res" pack installed and running. The vegetation is so sparse it is comical. The inventory system is deplorable. For every character other than your main character you can only change their weapon, rings, and amulet and belt. No boots, no gloves, no helmet, no grieves. The battles amount to nothing more than, "Here fight these 8 enemies you can one shot. You killed them? Here is another 8. You killed them!? Bet you didn't see this come, here is another wave. Good job, you won." There is no strategy involved, indeed, there CANT be strategy when just about every one of your abilities one-shots your enemies. There just isn't time. I am writing this review in the hopes of saving someone else the disappointment I am feeling. I just played 13 hours of Dragon Age 2. All 13 hours of the same thing was going through my head, "This game is nowhere near as epic as its predecessor because it is FIRST a console RPG, and then a pc RPG, not the other way around like DA:O was". Save your money if you own a pc, rent it if you on a ps3 or 360. Don't make the mistake I did.…Expand

I can rant a lot about the game-play being horrible, the graphics being sub-par, the CC being plain dumb; but the real thing that pisses me off is the story. This game has an awkward plot and an ending that made my eyes bleed in horror. It is unbelievable that I paid 60 dollars for a completely needless cliffhanger ending. Someone has got to answer for this crime against gamers in general...

What an insult. A sloppy console port from a company that no longer cares about the platform which put it where it is today. They couldn't even be bothered to provide a zoomed out camera. This game strips away most of the good features in Origins and compounds the worst parts, namely the encounter design. Waves upon waves of identicalReposting my review, which was deleted by Metacritic:

What an insult. A sloppy console port from a company that no longer cares about the platform which put it where it is today. They couldn't even be bothered to provide a zoomed out camera. This game strips away most of the good features in Origins and compounds the worst parts, namely the encounter design. Waves upon waves of identical enemies guarantee that no tactics except button-mashing is required. This game is an insult to real RPG's like Planescape:Torment and Mask of the Betrayer. Sadly, the only mainstream RPG developer left seems to be Obsidian Entertainment.…Expand

Unfortunately a lot of negative reviews here are a result of an organised campaign who dont seem to have even played the game. Even some positive reviews are way OTT.

DA2 is not a DAO clone. It isnt an old school complex for complexity sake crpg. It is streamlined and easier to use and play which isnt a bad thing. It is a more modernized approach which should bring more people into theUnfortunately a lot of negative reviews here are a result of an organised campaign who dont seem to have even played the game. Even some positive reviews are way OTT.

DA2 is not a DAO clone. It isnt an old school complex for complexity sake crpg. It is streamlined and easier to use and play which isnt a bad thing. It is a more modernized approach which should bring more people into the RPG fold without drowning them in complex systems some games do.

You still levelup, place attributes and pick talents and spells. You still have a party you use and can chat too. The game takes place mainly in 1 city with several areas to it. I would have preffered more varied location though, but it still plays nice.

Combat is a little faster than DAO and the classes are more distinct, but the essence of the combat is the same as DAO without the slow shuffling about the original had. You will need to bump difficulty up to hard for more challenge and tactical feel though, as normal is just far too easy.The cross class combo system is fantastic.

The narrative story works well, and they have taken a gamble in not using the tried and tested save the world plot most rpgs use in place of a more focused diplomatic storyline which i think works well but does lack an epic feel to it.

Graphics are fine if not spectacular, but the game does seemed like EA rushed them by using the same cave with different openings etc. Its a good RPG, but not great due to EA rushing the development time.…Expand

Somehow my previous review magically disappeared. I don't know how that can happen but i guess metacritic either deleted it or it got flagged? (based on the sincereity of my other reviews i don't think i was being a troll or a guy who ate too many sour grapes). Anyways...WNxWind pointed me out in his review that i have never played the game and am bashing it to the ground without anySomehow my previous review magically disappeared. I don't know how that can happen but i guess metacritic either deleted it or it got flagged? (based on the sincereity of my other reviews i don't think i was being a troll or a guy who ate too many sour grapes). Anyways...WNxWind pointed me out in his review that i have never played the game and am bashing it to the ground without any understanding of it. Although at the time of my previous review(early yesterday) i have only played the game for 4 hours, i felt that i have experienced enough to review DA:2. I won't be repeating what i have wrote again, i'll state that this game has been a real let down. Wake up bioware.…Expand

Critics, wow 80+ review average.
Us poor saps that believe them and have to spend money on the game 60- review and that is probably only because of people voting 100% for no reason other than Love of the dev's previous work.
Personally combat is terrible- stats, skills, crafting all useless. There are no tactics required. The Story and characters are poor to laughable, don't even getCritics, wow 80+ review average.
Us poor saps that believe them and have to spend money on the game 60- review and that is probably only because of people voting 100% for no reason other than Love of the dev's previous work.

Personally combat is terrible- stats, skills, crafting all useless. There are no tactics required. The Story and characters are poor to laughable, don't even get me started on the childish "romances".. And honestly I've said enough, not wasting anymore time on this abomination.…Expand

Searching for anything that even remotely made the first game appealing is futile.Without any sense for storytelling and character progression DA2 managed to look like the bastard child of DAO and Fable.A horrible port on PC and a slap in the face for console users, that are often used as a excuse for greedy development processes.Hawke's voice actors are completely unable to rescue theSearching for anything that even remotely made the first game appealing is futile.Without any sense for storytelling and character progression DA2 managed to look like the bastard child of DAO and Fable.A horrible port on PC and a slap in the face for console users, that are often used as a excuse for greedy development processes.Hawke's voice actors are completely unable to rescue the worst writing in any Bioware game ever. It's mixture of a bad budget movie and false edginess that creates facepalming moments for the player with a mindset above 14. Consoles lacking auto-attack, PC without a tactical camera."Think like a general ,fight like a Spartan,"Bioware's slap in the face for all the fans eager to play their game despite the DLC overflow and content already present in the game. Lack of environmental interaction , the feeling of emptiness and the spoon feeding of the player are just minor things compared to the overall inconsistency of the game.Bugs in the PC version, broken quests, import saves and random graphical and animation glitches another welcome addition to the players pain.DAO's combat often criticized as filler, suddenly looks realistic and appealing from the perspective of the Role -player. The player was able to decide at least something in combat , DA2 combat is just boredom , fast paced boredom. Like putting a set of Full Plate Armor set on Kratos and wondering why it's not fitting in the game.The companion characters with the exception of two of them are created with the targeted player in mind, a apparently very young player or a player perceived as immature. Very unfortunate, knowing that the DAO characters had actual depth and where interesting even after the player completed multiple playtroughs.Now it's impossible to relate to them, unless actually chasing only the sexual part, they tend to be just part of the feeling that Hawke is a pawn in someone's chess game. This sound incredibly edgy and mature, but serves only as distraction from the fact that players decisions are poorly implemented.Recycling, everything is recycled the robes, armors, items, models especially painful when thinking about the negative comments from Bioware about the art style of DAO.What is redone is redone to reduce polygon count , for the sake of performance of a very bad parallel release , that is a bigger port than actual ports.A truly disappointing game, with a bad story , that ruins it's own lore and creates unnecessary gaps in the players vision of the world of Thedas, that was introduced in a interesting way to the player of DAO, and despite it's technical and polish flaws made him feel welcome or at least a part of it.…Expand

I am extremely disappointed by Dragon Age 2 as a RPG game style, but if you can cast away the nostalgia of Baldur's gate, you'll find a good game nevertheless. Too bad this series have to continue like that, since the previous system was so much better... Why did they want to butcher the combat system like that ? They should have tried to improve it, not drastically change it ! On hardI am extremely disappointed by Dragon Age 2 as a RPG game style, but if you can cast away the nostalgia of Baldur's gate, you'll find a good game nevertheless. Too bad this series have to continue like that, since the previous system was so much better... Why did they want to butcher the combat system like that ? They should have tried to improve it, not drastically change it ! On hard difficulty, it feels like a hack'n slash ! But sadly, this is how developers tend to do their games... And sadly, it works beautifully. I won't say this game is stupidly bad, it's not. It's a good game, but far from being a real sequel to one of the best RPG of these last years, The Witcher included. I guess we'll have to wait for The Witcher 2.…Expand

How the mighty have fallen.Bioworse does it again.
Making a really great game, then completely destroying the sequel.
Where do we even start with this? Dragon Effect II stars Hawke, a faceless human only hero.
(Why did I even play a dwarf in the orginal?) That is destined to lead his friends to greatness.
The first thing you will notice is the completely lack luster character creator,How the mighty have fallen.Bioworse does it again.

Making a really great game, then completely destroying the sequel.

Where do we even start with this? Dragon Effect II stars Hawke, a faceless human only hero.(Why did I even play a dwarf in the orginal?) That is destined to lead his friends to greatness.

The first thing you will notice is the completely lack luster character creator, that they literally cut&pasted from the first game, give or take a few UI changes. It sports less choices, less variety, and terrible lighting. Don't even get me started on the EXACT same hair styles from the first game. The dialog wheel is a step back from origins and makes the game feel more and more like Dragon Effect II. The combat, while being faster, and incredibly flashier then Origins leaves little room for any real tactics, and thinking before engaging in battle. This too feels like a step backwards. After an hour or two you might grow incredibly bored with the combat, seeing as how even origins has decent blocking/parrying animations.Rogues lacking backstabbing bonuses, and mages lacking tons of skills that I enjoying using from the first one is a disappointment. It all seems very watered down for a younger/mass audience. The graphics are absolutely sub-par, at best. Some how Bioware managed to make the second game look worse than the original. WAIT THOUGH, if you want to, you can visit their site, and download a high-res pack that was mysteriously not even included in the game itself? They could have made the High-res pack DLC, for 15 $ and most likely gotten away with it.

The writing is absolutely atrocious on all accounts, and steals from the games immersion.

Lots of things in the game they have you doing feel incredibly similar to the things they had you doing in origins. Being a jerk to merchants that make to much money, being forced to help bumbling fools.

The companions are now spineless, brainless drones. Blindly following hawke for any reason "I guess I have no choice". It all feels very forced, and not thought out very well..

I want to like this game, but I just can't bring myself to do so. For every improvement, there is easily 5 other disappointments on the screen. From the horrid looking UI, to the incredibly low detailed environment of Kirkwall. Having loved Dragon Age: Origins, this game has left me feeling empty, and pain stricken.

If this is the price we have to pay in a bioware game when the main character gets a voice actor, I'd rather they left him a mute, and focused on other areas.This game has left me nothing but upset at bioware, for even releasing this game its very obvious the entire game was rushed, and kicked out the door, though with their recent habits I'm sure they don't even care. You can always just add the rest of the game as DLC, so you never have to release a finished product these days.…Expand

WNxWind has got to be the biggest idiot ever. First he claims the game isn't a console port because Bioware released a high res texture pack. Wait a sec...if the game wasn't a console port IT WOULDNT REQUIRE A HIGH RES TEXTURE PACK. And the combat? What? You would have to have an IQ of less than 10 to find the combat challenging. The graphics even on very high with the high-res textureWNxWind has got to be the biggest idiot ever. First he claims the game isn't a console port because Bioware released a high res texture pack. Wait a sec...if the game wasn't a console port IT WOULDNT REQUIRE A HIGH RES TEXTURE PACK. And the combat? What? You would have to have an IQ of less than 10 to find the combat challenging. The graphics even on very high with the high-res texture pack aren't amazing or even that good...the lighting is **** terrible. Not to mention if you have a Fermi card (or in SLI) you'll notice massive lag spikes since nVidia's drivers suck. The overall UI (apart from spell selection) look like it was designed in 5mins with no real thought.

This game is a console port, that's been dumbed even further down to satisfy the casual market.…Expand

An uninspiring sequel to a fairly fun and decent title that needed some minor polish. This game looks and feels rushed from the over the top, hack n' slash combat, to the horrible dialogue and environments. Throw into the mix massive piles of day 0 DLC, lack of mod tools, and a zoomed out camera, and you have a very alienated PC user base.

As someone who deeply enjoyed DA:O, I am immensely disappointed by this sequel. Dragon Age 2 is inferior to its predecessor in basically every way. And how Bioware manged to even implement worse graphics than DA:O is completely beyond me. Ratings are always subjective but if you see game reviewers give this game a 10/10 praising its superior graphics .. you cant help but wonder how much ofAs someone who deeply enjoyed DA:O, I am immensely disappointed by this sequel. Dragon Age 2 is inferior to its predecessor in basically every way. And how Bioware manged to even implement worse graphics than DA:O is completely beyond me. Ratings are always subjective but if you see game reviewers give this game a 10/10 praising its superior graphics .. you cant help but wonder how much of this praise came directly from EA itself.

Dragon Age II is a decent game, but fades in comparision with its predecessor. Most of the changes made just made the game less fun and less great. The only two positive changes are that the graphics have improved (slightly) and the main character can now talk.

I regret purchasing it. I think it may have been worth $15 or so to me, so I would have preferred buying it at a huge discount,Dragon Age II is a decent game, but fades in comparision with its predecessor. Most of the changes made just made the game less fun and less great. The only two positive changes are that the graphics have improved (slightly) and the main character can now talk.

I regret purchasing it. I think it may have been worth $15 or so to me, so I would have preferred buying it at a huge discount, even 2-3 years later. But I would have gladly paid $100 for Dragon Age: Origins.…Expand

Ok first off, Bioware did a terrible job with the initial graphics in this rushed, casualized sequel. I was not going to write a review at first, but after seeing the chasm between really high scores and really low scores it's pretty apparent to me that Bioware is doing damage control and countering these low reviews with their own high ones, it's really obvious as they are first timeOk first off, Bioware did a terrible job with the initial graphics in this rushed, casualized sequel. I was not going to write a review at first, but after seeing the chasm between really high scores and really low scores it's pretty apparent to me that Bioware is doing damage control and countering these low reviews with their own high ones, it's really obvious as they are first time reviewers. That is so slimy, I am just disgusted. This game had potential in the drawing room I am sure, but with more people being suckered into day 1 dlc cut from the game in the first one, they went full speed ahead and went overboard here. It is my firm belief that if you make a game, and almost immediately release downloadable graphical packs for it this is an admission of a rushed work and saying "We didn't do a very good job, but here's this quick fileset you can download to help reconcile for some of our shortcomings." Just garbage, also the new combat system isn't that great. It just makes it easier, not fun. Also, Bioware, I know are the reason most of the positive reviews are here - there is no reason this game should be any higher than a 6.5 on any real review site, and all your perfect 10-drones are just an insult to our intelligence as consumers.…Expand

A slap in the face for fans of DA:O, seriously where did they get the idea to main the masterpiece that DA:O was into this piece of filth. Everything's dumbed down and simplified, what on earth were they thinking. Don't buy this game, buy DA:O instead.

Very saddened to see the game go this way, the game itself is an ok game but from what the original Dragon Age was this is terrible. Combat has been dumbed down, on release there were over 20 DLC items available only for doing silly things such as 'likeing' the game on facebook or preordering before a set date from a set place, there we're also quest DLC's from preordering, DLC on releaseVery saddened to see the game go this way, the game itself is an ok game but from what the original Dragon Age was this is terrible. Combat has been dumbed down, on release there were over 20 DLC items available only for doing silly things such as 'likeing' the game on facebook or preordering before a set date from a set place, there we're also quest DLC's from preordering, DLC on release is crazy but that much is just insane. Not to mention that you also HAVE TO download over 1gig of data to get graphics better than the PC version. STAY AWAY!…Expand

I gotta say, this game is utter garbage. You would think that they would improve SOME things from the first DA, but no, they go ahead and make a rpg for ten year olds. Let's add a couple of curse words and then charge people ten bucks for downloadable content on the first day. I mean, you completely disrespected everyone that the first game was made for. The combat is atrocious, theI gotta say, this game is utter garbage. You would think that they would improve SOME things from the first DA, but no, they go ahead and make a rpg for ten year olds. Let's add a couple of curse words and then charge people ten bucks for downloadable content on the first day. I mean, you completely disrespected everyone that the first game was made for. The combat is atrocious, the dialog is too simple, so far the decisions i've made in the game are pointless and have no weight to them. The graphics are a step up though. All you gotta do is look at the main characters last name, hawke, to tell that the developers have no clue on how to make a TRUE rpg game. Hell, the main developer left in the beginning of development! That should have been a sign for me to not buy this game. It is truly one of the most disappointing games i've played in years.…Expand

Dragon Age was an above average game with many decent elements that should have been improved upon. The biggest flaw of Dragon Age was the uninspired encounter design, where they tried to replace the lacking quality of encounters with the quantity of copy-pasted trash encounters. Instead of improving / enriching the character system and reactivity of the story and the game world andDragon Age was an above average game with many decent elements that should have been improved upon. The biggest flaw of Dragon Age was the uninspired encounter design, where they tried to replace the lacking quality of encounters with the quantity of copy-pasted trash encounters. Instead of improving / enriching the character system and reactivity of the story and the game world and providing challenging tactical combat, with proper encounter dosing and design, the designers decided to cut the gameplay out of the game in order to replace their former target audience with intellectually impaired people who are unable of performing tasks like basic arithmetic and basic reading comprehension. Character customization and development and character stat based gameplay, which is the staple of RPG genre, is gone, tactical elements of combat are gone in favour of button mashing, text responses are gone, replaced by dialogue wheel for the illiterate attention deficit disorder crowd. God forbid that there are proper multiple dialogue choices consisting of complete sentences in the game, it would hurt the feelings of the target audience. Sticks and stones may break their bones, but big words hurt their tiny brains. Instead there is the game that has done away with numbers and reading, and replaced it with "cinematics" and button mashing. Of course, numerous trash encounters have only increased in number and frequency. Without a proper character system and considering the way story is presented, Dragon Age 2 is more of a homosexual porn movie than it is an RPG.…Expand

I usually won't write a review for something that I'm 99% sure NOBODY in the users section has finished yet, but with all the number of people raving about terrible this and that - had to chime in:

If you are one of the people who rated this 0-4 and are complaining about "casualized" combat or that it's "too easy" etc etc.. for heavens sakes take it off normal, nuke your game, start itI usually won't write a review for something that I'm 99% sure NOBODY in the users section has finished yet, but with all the number of people raving about terrible this and that - had to chime in:

If you are one of the people who rated this 0-4 and are complaining about "casualized" combat or that it's "too easy" etc etc.. for heavens sakes take it off normal, nuke your game, start it over again on nightmare.That's why they have it there. Yes, normal mode you could probably close your eyes and mash buttons to win, but crank the difficulty up and you will have to pause it quite a bit and make your decisions carefullly.(I can't even imagine what casual difficulty would be like.. but hey, maybe if your non-gaming significant other wants to run through for the experience)

If you're concerned about graphics.. just DL the demo before buying.. that's what it looks like - I can't see how anyone is surprised at this point. I enjoy it myself. A number of people are still experiencing graphics bugs, though I understand some of this is due to nvidia drivers - I would assume a lot of this will change with time.

So far I'm enjoying the game quite a bit and do not regret plopping my money down early.People seem to be freaking out and panning this thing.. but I'll just assume they were expecting mana from heaven and not what this is: a game.…Expand

Yet another example of EA destroying a gaming studio. Bioware started dying when they hooked up with EA. DA2 is a dumbed down extremely linear corridor-style RPG for ADHD meatheads who can't stand being challenged a little. Why are there so many nonsensical interactions happening? Templars witness tons of mages using magic, yet they only react if scripted.... And worst of all, continuouslyYet another example of EA destroying a gaming studio. Bioware started dying when they hooked up with EA. DA2 is a dumbed down extremely linear corridor-style RPG for ADHD meatheads who can't stand being challenged a little. Why are there so many nonsensical interactions happening? Templars witness tons of mages using magic, yet they only react if scripted.... And worst of all, continuously recycling maps in an RPG...!? Epic fail of a money grab. Studio execs are catering to the mindless spend-happy platform gamers and we end up with all these overly simplified and utterly easy games that feel like you're running down endless hallways. RIP Bioware.…Expand

Controls are terrible and clunky There are no other control schemes (Only Point and click - click to move)Dull storyWeak dialogues.Graphics environments looks terrible (DX11)Dumbed down RPG for casual wide audience.Its ultimately feels like a step back from DA

A slap in the face to PC gamers, a slap in the face to all fans of the original Dragon Age: Origins game (regardless of which port you played). I don't understand why they'd go in the opposite direction of the original DAO. I can understand making tweaks here and there, but this sequel has been dumbed down from the original. Less focus on tactics and more on playing like an arcade RPG.A slap in the face to PC gamers, a slap in the face to all fans of the original Dragon Age: Origins game (regardless of which port you played). I don't understand why they'd go in the opposite direction of the original DAO. I can understand making tweaks here and there, but this sequel has been dumbed down from the original. Less focus on tactics and more on playing like an arcade RPG. Why get rid of the overhead camera? Why not allow switching armor for your companions? These changes make absolutely no sense and now it plays like a bad 25 cent arcade game. Here's to Dragon Age 3 (if it's ever made) coming back to it's former glory.…Expand

The gameplay is dissapointing at best, insulting at worst. In an attempt to streamline the gameplay for consoles, the PC version has suffered. No isometric view means it is very hard to see the action and micro manage your group. The very quick cooldowns and lack of difficulty coupled with the bad camera effectively make pausing the game a waste of time. The game reusues the same caveThe gameplay is dissapointing at best, insulting at worst. In an attempt to streamline the gameplay for consoles, the PC version has suffered. No isometric view means it is very hard to see the action and micro manage your group. The very quick cooldowns and lack of difficulty coupled with the bad camera effectively make pausing the game a waste of time. The game reusues the same cave layout with the exact same door placement and the exact samevisuals from start to finish. You enter many caves yet somehow they are all the same. If you thought Mass Effect was bad then DA2 will blow your mind. The dialogue is very poorly written. It reads like a bad harlequin romance novel, something of the grade that you'd find in a trashy teen vampire cash in. The voice work feels dead pan and boring for any non party member NPC and that coupled with the unrealistic fangirl-like writing makes for some truly cringe worthy scenes. One character tries so hard to be cute, so hard to appeal to the "moe" loving crowd that her lines make her seem borderline retarded. It works with little girls because they are young and the stupidity can be excused. But when a grown woman speaks like a nervous 14 year old and calls swordsmen "sworderers" that "do something with a sword" then you start questioning this person's IQ. The game has the textures of an N64 game and that isn't even an exageration. There are pictures floating around the internet showing the low res (even with the supposed high res pack) of the ground, the buildings and the people most of all. All the NPCs asside from those in Hawke's party and in cutscenes look as detailed as the Happy Mask Salesman from Majora's Mask.

Bioware has officially alienated the entire audience that made Dragon Age: Origins the hit that it was. Graphics:In short: The art style rework looks horrible. The new orcs and hurlocks look like rejects and don't convey a threatening visage at all. In general, all the new enemies lack a sense of danger or urgency, which I think is the main flaw with the game (main point later). The newBioware has officially alienated the entire audience that made Dragon Age: Origins the hit that it was. Graphics:In short: The art style rework looks horrible. The new orcs and hurlocks look like rejects and don't convey a threatening visage at all. In general, all the new enemies lack a sense of danger or urgency, which I think is the main flaw with the game (main point later). The new draw distance does look great, but there are so many poor textures in the game, it honestly makes you go "What is this". Just for reference, I am playing the game on my PC with full graphics in DX11 mode, so it's not my computer it's just either laziness on Bioware's part or my standards are too high (For DA:O it wasn't). The new cities look great, as do the caves, but honestly the new landscapes look bad compared to the original.

Gameplay:I think this is where most of the problems derive from: Combat and animations are too fast. There is no need for tactics because the game boils down to to a hack and slash (especially at the lower difficulties. This mindless fighting leads to no memorable fights unlike the first game, which is another point. Nothing in this game is memorable. Your companions feel hollow. They all have back stories and some are interesting but it's hard to connect with any of them. It might just be the fact that Hawk is voiced over himself, but I just felt detached from the entire experience unlike the first game. I was no longer able to choose my back story, choose how I started the game, and feel like I was the protagonist of the game. It honestly mimicks an JRPG such as final fantasy. It's weird, I originally thought the voice over would be similar to mass effect, but it ended up just making the game feel like a movie. Thinking back I think the main issue with the disconnect was simply the story. In most Bioware RPG's you are a normal bloke, and something bad happens and you get drafted into a special league of people to solve the problem. In DA2, I was simply "told" that I was the champion kirkwall, all I accomplished, everything that I was and would be was predefined. The story telling medium really just made it feel terrible, extremely similar to the vibe I got from Fable 3 (Also another terrible RPG). The story is simply too disjointed, where most of the story line entail quick missions that involve mindless running through hurlocks and friends, killing everything, all to recover an item or to meet/rescue someone. It just felt terrible.

I rated the game a 3. It is "meh", which in my book is a 5, but I feel that Bioware has royally screwed up on this game. The alienation gives it a 3. Note at Bioware: You can't say that you are "improving" a game by removing everything that made the original a success. You have alienated the PC gamer group (I'm sure the game is fun more so on consoles) and it will show. Catering to the console audience will be your demise, as the PC community is what originally valued your games and gave your company the notoriety that it has today. Yes DA:O had clunky issues, but what you have done in order to improve and streamline the game has backfired horrendously, and it shows. It really does. Just looking at the original and the sequel compared, it's as if the sequel should have been the original, everything just seems a stepback.

Or maybe because it's Bioware, everyone will buy it and say that it's fit for worship. Who knows, but the future of RPG's look grim.…Expand

This game is an absolute joke. They've taken the best parts of DA:O and excised them, choosing instead to distill the franchise through a Mass Effect 2 flavored filter and then serve the resulting abomination with a nice glass of Console Port. The funny thing is, I played the demo on my PC and was already disappointed; I don't know why I was expecting the actual game to be any different.This game is an absolute joke. They've taken the best parts of DA:O and excised them, choosing instead to distill the franchise through a Mass Effect 2 flavored filter and then serve the resulting abomination with a nice glass of Console Port. The funny thing is, I played the demo on my PC and was already disappointed; I don't know why I was expecting the actual game to be any different. There's a big difference between "simplified" and "dumbed-down," and DA2 gruesomely illustrates the latter. Options, preferences, camera controls and dialogue options, all reduced to the absolute minimum of interaction and usability. Bioware (likely at EA's behest, with the aim of broadening market appeal) has created a hobbled gameplay experience that is neither pedestrian enough to appeal to mainstream console audiences nor nuanced enough to appeal to hardcore PC RPG enthusiasts. In trying to please everyone, they've pleased no one.

It's truly misleading to call this a "Sequel," as this game has very little in common with its predecessor, choosing to ride the coat tails of name recognition instead. And the promise of perpetual DLC down the road from day one (arguably content that should have been included for the price but was held back in favor of stretching profits) only further exposes this shameless $60 cash grab for what it is. The fact that it's receiving such glowing reviews by paid critics leads me to believe that somewhere, someone was crossing palms with a few "gold pieces" of their own to get some good feedback.…Expand

DA:2 stands testimony to the fact that Bioware has gone the way of many other developers in the last few years; tailoring experiences and titles for a younger, more mainstream audience, and less of the gamers of yesteryear. Much of the complexity of DA:O is completely missing, and what remains has been stripped to the barest semblance of what it was in the previous title. Many of theDA:2 stands testimony to the fact that Bioware has gone the way of many other developers in the last few years; tailoring experiences and titles for a younger, more mainstream audience, and less of the gamers of yesteryear. Much of the complexity of DA:O is completely missing, and what remains has been stripped to the barest semblance of what it was in the previous title. Many of the mechanics and elements are directly attributable to Mass Effect 2 (Resource "Locating", Conversation Wheel, etc), which makes the game feel like a Dragon Age flavored Mass Effect, and what few mechanics are newly implimented (Namely the combat) feels like it belongs in a Hack&Slash, Gauntlet-type game. Pair all that with a totally stripped down Inventory/Character management system (Feels bad man) reminiscent of Fable 3 and other new-RPG titles that feel "Depth bogs down storytelling", and you've got one abomination of a title. I was looking greatly forward to this release, hoping for grand things from the people who brought us DA:O, but what I've got is an attempt to bring in newcomers to the genre which strays so far from the "Brilliance in the basics" of basic RPG conventions that it feels like i'm watching a linear movie take place in the city of Kirkwall. Overall, the reasons for score follow:

Graphics: 5 (Being an obvious console port, at least they took the time to create a Hi-Res texture pack and release specialized drivers in coordination with a major video card company. This shows effort, albeit the wrong way of approaching it) The graphics are lackluster and feel very grainy. Running on full dx11 / highest graphics settings, the game still seems to me to be less beautiful and cinematic than DA:O. Mysterious. Would have been a 2/10, but the extra effort to make the port prettier for PC gives them credit.

Gameplay: 2 The combat (I'm playing on Nightmare) is challenging but not in a tactical way, like DA:O was. I loved how in DA:O i felt like Baldur's Gate, pausing every few seconds to assess and re-assign new actions, move to new locations, and have a very rewarding experience from a tactical standpoint. DA2 feels like i'm playing a rpg-ized Gauntlet Legends and prancing around pressing one of my six one-shot-kill buttons on wave after endless wave of the same four enemies. Pausing is of little value, as the combat is instantaneous-speed for all actions and most of the important things occur too fast to feel cinematic or rewarding. Character Development/Story: 1 I'm not a fan of predestined stories being told in retrospect, but the storytelling is EXCELENT. If only the story they were telling me was any good, or the characters had any real depth to them. The voice acting is well done, the tones and undercurrents of the narrator's persona are well scripted, but that all means naught if the story itself is a weakly contrived ascent to power of a predestined hero, followed about by his caste of hollow-headed, unemotional minions. All in all, this would have been a higher score if they didn't try to use DA:O as a starting base for this game, but they're following an EXCELLENT story with a VERY poor one, maiming the legacy they're coming from in the process. The weak story is the most terrible flaw in DA2, as everything else can be forgiven for a beautifully crafted tale.

Overall, it's about a 3/10, not because it actually deserves a 3/10 as an independent title (It'd be closer to a 6 or 7), but because it's Dragon Age 2. Not an independent work, or a new series basis. It's the much anticipated sequel to an amazing game, and fails in almost every way to advance or even match it's predecessor. It feels like a half-hearted attempt to drag Halo and Fable players into the Dragon Age universe and hold their hands all the while. 0/10 for naming it Dragon Age. 6-7/10 for actual production value and quality of product.

Im doing my best not to rate this lower than I feel because of all the bogus 9/10 reviews given to this game by big name gaming sites. This is not a 9/10 game by any stretch, 8/10 maximum.I felt this game was a huge step backwards from DA:O, its like Bioware put hardly any effort into it this time around. Almost everything is worse; the dialog, the graphics, the gameplay. I did enjoy theIm doing my best not to rate this lower than I feel because of all the bogus 9/10 reviews given to this game by big name gaming sites. This is not a 9/10 game by any stretch, 8/10 maximum.I felt this game was a huge step backwards from DA:O, its like Bioware put hardly any effort into it this time around. Almost everything is worse; the dialog, the graphics, the gameplay. I did enjoy the new skill system, and I'll give them props for fixing it. But it is still nothing special and pretty boring, it's just better than DA:O's level up system which was a travesty.All in all, this game is not good, but it is enjoyable. And the fact that certain sites are rating this 9/10 should be a big 'red flag' on which sites not to trust in their big budget game reviews.…Expand

Plagued by FFXIII-level linear maps, copy/pasted dungeons, and more dialog and cutscenes than MGS4. A step forward in terms of, well, flashiness, but a step backward in graphics, number of options, cities, and even the number of bugs on launch day seems to be greater than in its predecessor. The voice acting is bad enough to make me want to punch a baby and the dialog is horribly writtenPlagued by FFXIII-level linear maps, copy/pasted dungeons, and more dialog and cutscenes than MGS4. A step forward in terms of, well, flashiness, but a step backward in graphics, number of options, cities, and even the number of bugs on launch day seems to be greater than in its predecessor. The voice acting is bad enough to make me want to punch a baby and the dialog is horribly written with quirks like "I LIKE BIG BOATS, I CANNOT LIE". Seems to take every flaw DA:O had that was generally forgiven for its PC alternative, expanded upon those flaws, and make them the core basis of the game itself. Not worth getting, not even worth pirating.…Expand

Bioware. Where ports to the PC contain better graphics then the consoles. I own the original on both 360 and PC; by far PC has the best graphics. Although I do prefer the feel of a controller in my hands as opposed to a keyboard, I always felt the PC had the better deal. I really hope this ties me over until Mass Effect 3 comes out. Which kinda begs the question since both these title areBioware. Where ports to the PC contain better graphics then the consoles. I own the original on both 360 and PC; by far PC has the best graphics. Although I do prefer the feel of a controller in my hands as opposed to a keyboard, I always felt the PC had the better deal. I really hope this ties me over until Mass Effect 3 comes out. Which kinda begs the question since both these title are out this year, creating a lull in their production; what is Bioware planning?…Expand

This is a complete insult of a game, an obvious attempt to milk the cashcow. BioWare's reputation has taken a hit because of this game. This is a review of the PC version which is a port of console version. Before I get into the PC aspects I will open the bag and say that BioWare flat-out lied about the console version having auto-attack. They knew that feature would not be included,This is a complete insult of a game, an obvious attempt to milk the cashcow. BioWare's reputation has taken a hit because of this game. This is a review of the PC version which is a port of console version. Before I get into the PC aspects I will open the bag and say that BioWare flat-out lied about the console version having auto-attack. They knew that feature would not be included, after openly saying it WOULD be included but admitted a mear 12 hours before release that their had "been a mistake". A BOLD FACE LIE.

Onto the PC version thoughts.

The conversation is dribble, utter dribble. For a RPG to have such a uninteresting story, AND method of story telling in a AAA title is insulting. Pressing escape is half the gameplay time, because the story is garbage. Camera view is horrible, worse then the first game. Another sign that the game was rushed. They didnt want to put in the resources in order to make this happen.

The characters are uninspiring, very generic. The textures are uneven. Some a good while other are unacceptable.

The combat is the only thing acceptable. If they had completely removed all story and dialog and just stuck with combat, called it a hack and slash and not named it dragon age, I would be a happy camper. I would have not been suckerpunched.

The fact their really is no point to the inventory system considering they cherry picked what items could be equipped, shows a complete sense of ineptitude. They refused to put in the effort for "Items" and made 10% effort in what is considered baseline expectation. Considering in the first game you could pick a multitude of races to be, in this they allow for only ONE shows their lack of consideration for anybody interested in this genre.

BioWare: Focus groups, critic bribery, lies and excuses won't save you from the laughing stock this game is, I'm sorry the only thing u can do is laugh all the way to the bank because this game is a joke and I hope you all are proud of yourselves.

P.S. Don't F'up ME3 or the MMO.....Fool me once shame on you fool me twice......…Expand

The game is bad, it is every obviously a console port. It is a really, really, porty port. Additionally Bioware's "whenever you push a button something awesome should happen" just makes the entire game very bland.

Here goes...reserved the game months ago because I loved DA:O and even Awakening. Bought a couple of DLC even. Thought the game was a bone to the old-ish veteran gamers who enjoyed Baldur's gate, NWN, etc. Here's my opinion on the game:

Pros:
-Characters are pretty interesting so far (played about 8 hours)
-Voice acting is great.
Cons:
-Action oriented, which is a matter ofHere goes...reserved the game months ago because I loved DA:O and even Awakening. Bought a couple of DLC even. Thought the game was a bone to the old-ish veteran gamers who enjoyed Baldur's gate, NWN, etc. Here's my opinion on the game:

Cons:
-Action oriented, which is a matter of opinion. But considering this is the sequel to the 2009 GotY that used a completely different combat system more based on strategy, this just sounds like Bioware left its old fans behind and tried to reach for a new market. On that note, ''Strategic pause'' isn't very strategic. Button mashing feast.
-Graphics are unpolished. Unexcusable, especially the NPC's look horrible up close.
-Dungeons rehashed only 5 hours in the game...really Bioware?
-No isometric view. Makes me believe the PC game was more an afterthought than anything else.
-Story is unfocused. Jumping from point to point in time and following the story through someone else's viewpoints isnt a bad idea (Diablo 2 everyone?) but it's poorly done this time, at least in my humble opinion.
-Dialogue wheel was fine for Mass Effect, but it breaks the mood for this game. Having a choice between being overboard angelic, a complete **** or a wisecracker doesnt sound like a lot of choice to me.
-So little choice on how to customize the main character...human male or female. Poor immersion, I never believed for a second I was Hawke the way I identified to my warden in DA2.…Expand

The majority of the people played only a couple hours of this game before realizing that it wasnt worth it to invest anymore time into playing something like this.
By proof of contradiction, I will show you why this game doesnt deserve anything above a 5
Suppose, that the true rating of this game was actually 90+ as rated by PC Gamer, then it must be the case thatRead these comments

The majority of the people played only a couple hours of this game before realizing that it wasnt worth it to invest anymore time into playing something like this.

By proof of contradiction, I will show you why this game doesnt deserve anything above a 5

Suppose, that the true rating of this game was actually 90+ as rated by PC Gamer, then it must be the case that this would be:

*The best RPG ever*The biggest and most interesting town that you ever seen in RPG*Many player choices with consequences on the story.*Well written story that will make your eyes wet many times*Much more attaching companions, more so than any of DAO.etc.

This is the worst steaming pile of poop i have ever played. I am not joking. This second is not even comparable to DA1. And to top it off they paid reviewers and are making fake reviews for it on metacritic. Wow... This is sad and probably the worst sequel i have ever played. If you are considering buying this dont, its a total step backwords in every way. It is better to just buy threeThis is the worst steaming pile of poop i have ever played. I am not joking. This second is not even comparable to DA1. And to top it off they paid reviewers and are making fake reviews for it on metacritic. Wow... This is sad and probably the worst sequel i have ever played. If you are considering buying this dont, its a total step backwords in every way. It is better to just buy three decent games off steam for a regular price POS, Its stupid they sell for as much as they do as there arent even packaging costs or anything. Worst game i have played in a while…Expand

This game was a huge let down. From the very beginning of the game, it was obvious that there was not nearly enough time put into it. They took a huge step backwards from DA: O, and dumbed down this game in almost every way imaginable, and the sub-par graphics are inexcusable for a company of Bioware or EAs prestige and budget. They removed any tactical aspects that the original gameThis game was a huge let down. From the very beginning of the game, it was obvious that there was not nearly enough time put into it. They took a huge step backwards from DA: O, and dumbed down this game in almost every way imaginable, and the sub-par graphics are inexcusable for a company of Bioware or EAs prestige and budget. They removed any tactical aspects that the original game had and replaced them with mind numbing button mashing as you get flooded by seemingly endless waves of enemies. The game also lacks the detail and overall quality of the first. There are many little things in the game that indicate the lack of development. For instance, the first thing I noticed when I arrived in Kirkwall, was that there was no collision with most of the townspeople other than guards, merchants, and vital characters. You can walk right through most of the people, which in itself is not a game-breaker, but shows how little time they put into detail. Other instances include s having to be lined up with certain objects in a very precise manner to interact with them, poorly rendered textures, and just the overall lack of detailed environments that were abundant in the first game. The lack of exploration and interaction with people other than merchants or vital characters was also a huge disappointment, and you even have to manually cycle day to night on the area selection screen. This is unacceptable as games on the NES made in the mid to late 80s had working day/night cycles. The amount of day one dlc is insane, and the Prince DLC really makes it feel like Bioware/EA are trying to milk every penny out of their fans. I gave this game a 0/10, because instead of improving their game, the developers dumbed it down in every way imaginable, and cut many corners in development, making it impossible for me to enjoy.…Expand

Its really sad whats happened to Bioware. They went from making deep and enjoyable games to producing watered down garbage that seems utterly amateur. They went from DA:O, which had terrible graphics, bland skill sets and items, and boring combat mechanics, straight into some kind of button mashing monstrosity where the best tactical challenge they can create is making monsters do x timesIts really sad whats happened to Bioware. They went from making deep and enjoyable games to producing watered down garbage that seems utterly amateur. They went from DA:O, which had terrible graphics, bland skill sets and items, and boring combat mechanics, straight into some kind of button mashing monstrosity where the best tactical challenge they can create is making monsters do x times normal damage. Whats sad is it can't all be blamed on EA's acquisition, Dead Space 2 was a beautiful game. I think the days of people who actually cared to make good RPGs is gone.…Expand

I never thought the Origins was that great, but after playing DA2, I can safely say the comparison is just.This god awful port needs some work. I would recommend waiting to buy this game, until this is on sale for around $10.Play DA:O again, or if you're just an RPG fan in general, and don't care for Bioware, just get the Witcher 2

Oh how the mighty have fallen. Dragon Age: Origins was basically the last frontier of Classic RPG's out there, and it's follow-up can't be further from that title. Dragon Age 2 is a massively dumbed down version of DA:O, with shallower combat that basically negates the need to pause the game and issue orders, which doesn't help you at all on Nightmare mode. Items are basically useless atOh how the mighty have fallen. Dragon Age: Origins was basically the last frontier of Classic RPG's out there, and it's follow-up can't be further from that title. Dragon Age 2 is a massively dumbed down version of DA:O, with shallower combat that basically negates the need to pause the game and issue orders, which doesn't help you at all on Nightmare mode. Items are basically useless at this point as well, since the only person that can use armor is Hawke. Yeah, you heard me, you can only use the armor you collect during the game on the main character. You can't equip anything except belts, rings and amulets on your companion. The characters themselves are emotionless and don't even begin to compare to the first one. Remember how fun it was to hear Morrigan and Alistair fight about every small little thing? None of the new characters even begin to reach that. They're boring beings with only a superficial motive, and most of the time they won't have an opinion regardless.

There are many more bad things I could say about this game, but I don't feel like spending the time to write them, because BioWare certainly didn't feel like spending time to make this game good.…Expand

The game was advertised to me as the second coming of Baldurs Gate 2, as a game that would save the wrpg genre, and as a sequel to the DA: Origins, which although had it's own problems, was good enough.

Well, DA2 is bad. It plays more like action-jrpg than a wrpg. Many things that made DA: Origins so good and appealing to me were butchered in the sequels, most prominent amongst all areThe game was advertised to me as the second coming of Baldurs Gate 2, as a game that would save the wrpg genre, and as a sequel to the DA: Origins, which although had it's own problems, was good enough.

Well, DA2 is bad. It plays more like action-jrpg than a wrpg. Many things that made DA: Origins so good and appealing to me were butchered in the sequels, most prominent amongst all are the options for creating your character, which were severely limited.

The dialog is laughable, I've seen fanfiction better written. The dialog wheel is atrocious compared to system in the previous game. Many times choosing an option, that didn't relate to spoken words much, and hearing the dialog made me cringe.

The graphics and art direction are godawfuly bad. the textures and locations would look good in a PS2 era game, but not on PC in 2011. Textures are low resolution, object blocky, and locations empty of decals. Completely void of anything worthy of interest - just plain ground with a texture pasted on. Games from 5 years ago are eye-candy compared to this.

And why are there so few people everywhere? Wasn't Kirkwall supposed to be a city bursting with citizens and other scum?and end up with, what, five people at most on screen? It's ridiculous.

Also, DLC. On day one. DOZENS of DLC. Publishing a half-finished game and then making you pay for the rest of your goddamn game is just **** And the high-res texture pack released as a patch only few days after the game? Really? If someone tells me this game wasn't rushed, I will smack him in the head.

This game shouldn't have been released for another few months at least. Maybe it will get good, after a year or two, with multitude of patches and mods... but relying on the community to fix your half-finished game is just plain pathetic.

Bioware did it again. Simply amazing, the gameplay the story the everything. The graphics on this game could give modded Crysis a run for its money. The people who are hating on the storytelling just don't get it. It's obviously too deep for them. And don't get me started on the characters accompanying Hawke. Merril is just soooo cute. I want to nom her head and giggle and squee every timeBioware did it again. Simply amazing, the gameplay the story the everything. The graphics on this game could give modded Crysis a run for its money. The people who are hating on the storytelling just don't get it. It's obviously too deep for them. And don't get me started on the characters accompanying Hawke. Merril is just soooo cute. I want to nom her head and giggle and squee every time I see her.

Some people may dislike the changes but they just need to get past the fact that games evolve. No longer are we stuck with a silent protagonist with which we just choose lines of words to reply with. I mean who wants to read all those words? Certainly not I (but maybe some nerds do...lol). Now we have a fully voice acted character that speaks with super realistic emotions expressed in each sentence.

Which is great because the dialogue is amazingly deep. You can choose between the peace loving diplomatic guy, the angry lets fight now guy, and the sarcastic witty guy for like every single response you make! Certainly no other game matches Bioware in its depth in character choices.

really dont like what bioware and EA have done to this game i really liked the first game but this one doesnt fill like an RPG to me it feels more like a action game.I got very bored very quickly of the combat in DA2 i dont like the dialogue wheel it is fine in a game like Mass Effect but not in a RPG its just stupid.Also why cant you change your teams armour all rpg in know have thatreally dont like what bioware and EA have done to this game i really liked the first game but this one doesnt fill like an RPG to me it feels more like a action game.I got very bored very quickly of the combat in DA2 i dont like the dialogue wheel it is fine in a game like Mass Effect but not in a RPG its just stupid.Also why cant you change your teams armour all rpg in know have that option sorry but this game is poor…Expand

After purchasing Dragon Age 2 and playing it for some 8 hours, I've come here to warn the people against buying this game. First of all, it is completely unbelievable that a triple A title that had millions upon millions of dollars of production budget has graphics that looks like it's from 2001. I'm playing with the high resolution texture pack that needs to be downloaded and installedAfter purchasing Dragon Age 2 and playing it for some 8 hours, I've come here to warn the people against buying this game. First of all, it is completely unbelievable that a triple A title that had millions upon millions of dollars of production budget has graphics that looks like it's from 2001. I'm playing with the high resolution texture pack that needs to be downloaded and installed separately, and DX11 on my AMD 6970 and yet Morrowind has prettier graphics. The game was also designed with 12 year old children in mind by giving laughable and ridiculous amounts of gore and sex innuendos with party members that it's on the verge of being a parody of itself. The writing is terrible, invoking cliches from the worst airport novels. Story is an incoherent mash of gibberish and stuff we've seen in Origins. Level design is boring and some maps are literally copied from Dragon Age Origins. Dialogues can only be explained as retarded; no living creatures sputter the words with no meaning and completely inappropriate to the situation so often as DA2 characters. There is no fun to be had from this game, and that's a shame to see Bioware go this way.…Expand

Super Dragon Age Fighter 2 Turbo: Tournament Edition Round 2.Console trash. A money grab. A precisely calculated move. When you make a deal with the devil (EA), he always comes back to collect. Bioware is dead.

For all those nay-sayers, smooth talkers and ESPECIALLY PR personnel at Bioware...you've severely disappointed the fans of Dragon Age: ORIGINS. To stray so incredibly far from your roots by overly simplifying the core mechanics of the game stinks of consolization - the bane of many serious, entertaining pc games to date. The nerve with which their PR personnel promised that it wouldn'tFor all those nay-sayers, smooth talkers and ESPECIALLY PR personnel at Bioware...you've severely disappointed the fans of Dragon Age: ORIGINS. To stray so incredibly far from your roots by overly simplifying the core mechanics of the game stinks of consolization - the bane of many serious, entertaining pc games to date. The nerve with which their PR personnel promised that it wouldn't be simplified and would in fact be a deeper experience is complete and utter **** This was a rushed product backed by (necessary) hype based on the original game's success, because if they'd shown the game exactly as it could be played, it would definitely have lost sales. I preordered this game WITH the understanding that it'd be Dragon Age 2 NOT Dragon Effect: Consolization 101...I've seen a fair share of games that have gone down the gutter that way and sad as i am to say down that road also has Dragon Age 2 gone. The Mass "effect" should have stayed with it's progenitor as it's fine as it is unless they decide to Dragon Agify Mass Effect 3. Hold that thought...that might actually make a good game. Bioware do it! PS. I don't even know whether I'm being sarcastic or not...…Expand

Don't listen to the haters this is an AMAZING game and well worth the $60 it cost me. Runs beautifully on my XFX Radeon 6870 with graphics on full 1920x1080. This is a game you'll either love or hate so try the demo first! Most fun I've had in an RPG for a long time, feels almost like 3D Baldur's Gate. Must buy if you like action oriented combat.

While I was somewhat optimistic even after playing the demo most of that optimism faded when I actually played the game.

Revamped combat does not work too well, stiff character animations are also very off putting. And is it me or did Dragon Age Origins have better character textures? Also what's with the Critic's score, my god. Those are NOT honest reviews, because metascore's userWhile I was somewhat optimistic even after playing the demo most of that optimism faded when I actually played the game.

Revamped combat does not work too well, stiff character animations are also very off putting. And is it me or did Dragon Age Origins have better character textures? Also what's with the Critic's score, my god. Those are NOT honest reviews, because metascore's user ratings clearly does not reflect that.…Expand

Enjoying Dragon age 2 very much about 5 hrs in and is very entertaining has enough new stuff and enough old stuff (from DA1) to be enjoyable. There are a few thing I would of done differently but all in all a good solid game.

A horrible, wretched nightmare from which you can never awake. That is what this game feels like. The original DA:O was a lovingly crafted tour-de-force moment in the history of video games. The sequel feels like a rush-job shoved out the door to cash in quickly on its success. The levels look bland, the quest variety is paltry, the characters are boring, and the combat feels dumbed downA horrible, wretched nightmare from which you can never awake. That is what this game feels like. The original DA:O was a lovingly crafted tour-de-force moment in the history of video games. The sequel feels like a rush-job shoved out the door to cash in quickly on its success. The levels look bland, the quest variety is paltry, the characters are boring, and the combat feels dumbed down for consoles. Shame on EA! And shame on Bioware for releasing this steaming pile of ****…Expand

When everyone around me was telling me how bad this game was going to be, I couldn't believe them. I defended this game till my last stand. I even replayed all of DA:O including its expansion and some of the DLC. Finally the game was out, and I was pumped, I loaded up my game and imported my save and shortly after an hour I was a bit dissapointed: I was questioning every move that BiowareWhen everyone around me was telling me how bad this game was going to be, I couldn't believe them. I defended this game till my last stand. I even replayed all of DA:O including its expansion and some of the DLC. Finally the game was out, and I was pumped, I loaded up my game and imported my save and shortly after an hour I was a bit dissapointed: I was questioning every move that Bioware made, and there are so many plot holes it hurts, and by the time I beat it (Only took me 10 hours, which, by the way was 40 hours shorter than origins) I was so depressed in how awful the game was.

Most of the characters were interesting, but other characters (Isabella) who comes back as a minor character from origins has a complete make-over and is a walking stereotype of a pirate. She greets you in a standard "Captain" Jack Sparrow fashion and asks you-- a person she has never met before to guard her during a duel. Once you are at this duel you do all of the fighting for her, and once you are done with the fighting? She tells you that she wants to have sexual intercourse with you.

It's this type of crap that I was tired with throughout the whole game, the "mature" theme (M RATED GAMES FOR MATURE GAMERS LIKE MYSELF GUYS!) that didn't even need to be there. The story was uninispired, the voice acting was standard-fare, and the graphics were that of a PS2. Bioware has turned their back on the PC gaming community and are just showing how much of a joke their games can really be.

Oh, and by the way: There are two endings, and the only difference is a about a line of dialogue. Game of the year!…Expand

This review contains spoilers.
My experience with Dragon Age 2 has been a complete mess (similar to all the Bioware/EA PR incidents that have been happening lately) since I picked the game up on release date, fully regretting it. While the presentation, graphics and sound of the game are bordering on average the biggest difficulty lies with this less than mediocre game relying on the name of it's predecessor for sales while failing in all the areas that should have been improved. While the graphical style is good and does make for a nice looking game the extremely low resolution textures and terrible models of certain people in Kirkwall stand out extremely badly, not only that but because every location in the game is repeated ad naueseum you notice it every single time. There is literally nothing in the soundtrack that stands out compared to some of the tracks in DA:O that really drives home the point that the composer mentioned in an IGN interview about being rushed by EA to push the game out as soon as possible. Now it is the gameplay that really causes the game to fall apart and where the poor work that was put into the game is clearest. The two main portions of the game- combat and conversation- were terribly done due to their desire to appeal to as many non-RPG fans as possible without attempting to cater to their true fanbase, the most insulting part of the game. The combat was pointless and repetitive where fights without 20 enemies falling out of the sky as reinforcements was an oddity and a severe lack of tactics became obvious as I never had to make custom tactics on the hard difficulty. Conversation under the mass effect wheel was even worse than it was in mass effect with the vaguest statements being available on your "choices" which hardly change a thing in the game and only give you an illusion of having a decision. Not only that but the story was so terribly written it must be embarrassing for anyone from the original DA:O team to play through it: a refugee where everyone that you care about dies, constant fast-forwarding that give you no incite on your character, random plot devices being thrown in such as the lyrium idol turning into Meredith's sword which seemed more like a "HEY REMEMBER THIS FROM 3-6 YEARS AGO?", random DA:O cameos that make absolutely no sense without explanation, stupid decisions by NPCs that they make for no reason and without any explanation such as Orlin using blood magic, Merril being kidnapped without any mention and still having the ability to use her to save her from her own kidnapping, terribly written romances (obviously Twilight referenced)... I can't keep going on without feeling sad for the state of this sequel, Bioware and the current direction video games are taking. There isn't even any lasting appeal to the game as you already play through the same area 100 times by the end of the game anyway. The idea about centering the story and game around a single city and how it was influenced by your character and what changed during your life isn't a bad idea but the implementation where nothing else changes in the scenery and absolutely everything remains the same for the 7 years of gameplay just pulls away from any semblance of immersion this game can give you. Just save your money, you'll find way better RPGs from budget studios than you will from Bioware now it seems.…Collapse

This is not Dragon Age, despite the game's title, the game itself has precious little to do with Dragon Age. It's almost an insult naming this game Dragon Age 2. Very saddening to see a once great rpg turned into something like that. Almost every aspect of a rpg is dumbed down beyond words to better appeal to the console users, seriously. What the hell is the Mass Effect conversation styleThis is not Dragon Age, despite the game's title, the game itself has precious little to do with Dragon Age. It's almost an insult naming this game Dragon Age 2. Very saddening to see a once great rpg turned into something like that. Almost every aspect of a rpg is dumbed down beyond words to better appeal to the console users, seriously. What the hell is the Mass Effect conversation style doing in Dragon Age, it basically give u 3 words and a face beside you to hand hold you telling you that the choice is an evil/good/neutral one. Only one default race, seriously? Much of the appeal, and re-playability, of the previous Dragon Age is that one can choose a different race on each play through and the NPC will react accordingly to your race. Now you are better off deleting the game after your first run through, no re-playability whatsoever. There is so many things fundamentally wrong with this game I dun even know where to end.

Bioware better off naming it Mass Effect: Origins which tells the story of how Shepherd's ancestor save the world. If we wanted something like Mass Effect we would have waited for the next Mass Effect. In a nutshell, this is NOT Dragon Age, anyone looking forward to reliving the hundreds of hours spent on the original Dragon Age will be sorely disappointed. Better off grabbing Dragon Age: Ultimate Edition and play any dlcs that you missed out previously, even replaying Dragon Age: Origins for the 1000th gives you a better experience. Give us back our original Dragon Age!…Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view.
I've been playing this for the last 2 days and it's really good. We can't compare it to the first, it's more action oriented, but it's still good. The graphic are good on the PC version, but the animation during dialog aren't that good, but the weren't in the first either. It deserve a better score then the average user have put, so i put high score to revamp it. STOP TROLLING !…Expand

This game is an insulting piece of utter trash, a slap in the face to fans of the series. Even console gamers hate this game, which says something... the changes in the game were obviously made to satisfy console owners, and Bioware even failed at that. This game is so horrible it makes me want to spit.

Cookie cutter levels, horrible, HORRIBLE uninspired voice acting, boring combat,This game is an insulting piece of utter trash, a slap in the face to fans of the series. Even console gamers hate this game, which says something... the changes in the game were obviously made to satisfy console owners, and Bioware even failed at that. This game is so horrible it makes me want to spit.

If anyone from any game company happens to read this: stop blaming your poor sales on piracy and using it as an excuse to release crappy console port PC games, then crying like a baby about your poor sales.

If you make a GOOD PC game, it WILL SELL. Watch the Witcher 2 blow DA2 sales out of the water. In fact, I bet that the Witcher 2 will sell more copies on the PC, and DA2 sells on all three platforms combined.

What a freaking joke. I'm so angry about this stinking, wet, rotten pile of crap that I can't stand it.…Expand

Instead of a zero, I should be able to give this game a negative number - somewhere around -7, because I'm comparing it to Dragon Age: Origins. Dragon Age II can be summarized easily in comparison to its predecessor:

1. Simplified combat mechanics that equate to hack-and-slash via button mashing. This makes the core gameplay tedious and boring.
2. More linear gameplay choices. You canInstead of a zero, I should be able to give this game a negative number - somewhere around -7, because I'm comparing it to Dragon Age: Origins. Dragon Age II can be summarized easily in comparison to its predecessor:

1. Simplified combat mechanics that equate to hack-and-slash via button mashing. This makes the core gameplay tedious and boring.2. More linear gameplay choices. You can experience this from the start of the game, where it's clear exactly how you will get to Kirkwall, what you will do to get in, etc.3. Less choice in general. Fewer starting character options (human or human?) and no varried starting stories etc.4. A UI failure. It's control and layout is excessively modal. Everything you want to do (like manage inventory, attributes, skills requires more UI clicks and more screens.5. Graphics that require more video card pixel pushing but offer poorer views compared to Dragon Age One. This might have been easier on the Artists, but it certainly takes away from the atmosphere.6. Undirected, non-epic, boring story.7. Characters are less memorable.

If you liked Dragon Age: Origins, there is practically no correlation between that and liking this. The games are barely second cousins. In summary - Bioware has really jumped the shark with this one!…Expand

This is an absolute joke. Bioware took everything that made DA:O great, and then tried as hard as they could to make it suck. Graphics are worse, plot is worse, voice acting is worse, variety of locations are worse, combat is worse, special attacks are WORTHLESS unless you just like a pretty light show (or a ridiculous vaporized cloud of blood). To add insult to injury, they had the nerveThis is an absolute joke. Bioware took everything that made DA:O great, and then tried as hard as they could to make it suck. Graphics are worse, plot is worse, voice acting is worse, variety of locations are worse, combat is worse, special attacks are WORTHLESS unless you just like a pretty light show (or a ridiculous vaporized cloud of blood). To add insult to injury, they had the nerve to price this piece of crap ten dollars more than the previous version, which was ten times better. It PISSES ME OFF that devs whine about piracy and release games like these. Like a poster said below, if you don't want your games pirated, don't release CRAP. I'm so angry I wasted my money on this garbage. No wonder the lead developer left... I would shoot myself in the face rather than have my name attached to this travesty.…Expand

Let me start by saying that I've been a fan of Bioware since KOTOR, one of my favorite game of all time, but after this I'm not sure I'll ever buy another Bioware game ever again.. The original Dragon Age wasn't the best game of all time, but I felt it had a sort of charm to it. It was average at best, but I had a lot of fun with it which is something I can't say for Dragon Age 2. TheLet me start by saying that I've been a fan of Bioware since KOTOR, one of my favorite game of all time, but after this I'm not sure I'll ever buy another Bioware game ever again.. The original Dragon Age wasn't the best game of all time, but I felt it had a sort of charm to it. It was average at best, but I had a lot of fun with it which is something I can't say for Dragon Age 2. The graphics seem to have gotten WORSE, I have no problem with bad graphics, however, I do have a problem with a sequel looking worse than its predecessor. That aside, another major issue is that I no longer felt like I was playing an rpg, but rather some hack and slash game with little to no depth. The combat is nothing short of atrocious. It felt as if Bioware was instead catering to the mindless click click click win audience. I know not everyone enjoys RPGs since they can be slow, but that's what first person shooters and action games are for. This may have been a better business move by Bioware, to aim for the larger group, but I can't help but feel betrayed by one of my favorite developers. Another issue concerning the combat was that enemies seemed to appear out of nowhere in waves which, at least for me, broke some of the immersion. I'll be honest, I wasn't really immersed in it in the first place, but it's an issue I feel Bioware has to address. Now as for the story, it wasn't terrible, but it wasn't good either. Throughout the whole game the story never really felt like it was going anywhere no matter how far I got. Maybe I'm just spoiled from some of the other great stories Bioware has made in their games. The dialogue wheel is beyond terrible, and some of the dialogue from the characters makes me cringe. One example is in the demo Bioware released. A woman is yelling "They shall not have you" to her injured husband and then says to the darkspawn"You shall not have him." Really Bioware? Really? I can't even begin to fathom how they could release a demo with such a terrible scene. As for the day 1 dlc, I'm sure people can see why I'd be annoyed by this so I won't go into it. One bad game doesn't make a developer terrible obviously. What really killed any hope I had in Bioware, was their staff on their forums. ANY criticism towards their game is dismissed as trolling. It's as if they truly believe their game is flawless. It's a shame how such a great developer turned into what it is today. I could go on and on about how much of a let down this was, but I'd rather end it now.…Expand

I don't understand how IT was born?"OK, let's make some fighting system for kids, dialogs which can't change storyline, AND SEX with woman, than man, man, man, woman".So, is it a boylover simulator or it was made for a schoolboys? I can't understand why enemies are crashing into pieces from one knife slash?It's hilarious game from fathers of RPG. And some words about graphics - it sucks.

Never good when you make a game worse than it's prequel. So many problems with the game. So much hype over it by DA fans. The "professional" reviewers are giving it a high score for some reason I do not know.

The single worst gaming experience of my life. The demo was, bar none, the most horrid thing I've ever been through.Demo's are supposed to make you WANT to buy a game, right? Put the best foot forward and all that? DA2 made me want to chop my feet off so that I'd be forced to lay in bed for the rest of my life forced to look at nothing but my walls and ceiling as such would have been aThe single worst gaming experience of my life. The demo was, bar none, the most horrid thing I've ever been through.Demo's are supposed to make you WANT to buy a game, right? Put the best foot forward and all that? DA2 made me want to chop my feet off so that I'd be forced to lay in bed for the rest of my life forced to look at nothing but my walls and ceiling as such would have been a fate a million times better than ever seeing the like of BioWare's latest offering.…Expand

It's amazing how you somehow succeeded in making this worse than 1 in every way. Was it really that hard to not change everything and just address the criticism that the first game got and go from there? It's just so sad to see a company you've loved for years turn to ****

The best RPG ever, you never played as fun and tactical party RPG combats, it's the biggest and most interesting town that you ever seen in RPG. There are many player choices with consequences on the story. The story is very well written and will make your eyes wet many times. Some companions are much more attaching than any companion of DAO.

DA2 fixes many weakness of DAO, the fights areThe best RPG ever, you never played as fun and tactical party RPG combats, it's the biggest and most interesting town that you ever seen in RPG. There are many player choices with consequences on the story. The story is very well written and will make your eyes wet many times. Some companions are much more attaching than any companion of DAO.

DA2 fixes many weakness of DAO, the fights are better balanced and more deep. DAO fights was ridiculously easy and now at Hard difficulty they are hard and at Nightmare it's a real challenge. In DAO the companions was sort of dead puppets once out of the camp. Now they are lively and really participate to the adventure, and even, your companions will influence the evolution of the story. In DAO you had only very few build per class, now in DA2 you have plenty more builds making you character building a lot more fun and deep. In one play through DA2 isn't as long than in DAO, because of the multiples alternatives coming from player choices and companions choose the replays are much more interesting and setup a longer play value with replays.…Expand

I rarely play ports on PC since they're generally always garbage, but Bioware has a decent pedigree so I chose not to follow my guts instinct and I bought this on PC.

This may have been the worst mistake I have ever made. The instant that I read I actually had to download a hq texture pack from the developers themselves said it all. The utter contempt that they have shown by releasingI rarely play ports on PC since they're generally always garbage, but Bioware has a decent pedigree so I chose not to follow my guts instinct and I bought this on PC.

This may have been the worst mistake I have ever made. The instant that I read I actually had to download a hq texture pack from the developers themselves said it all. The utter contempt that they have shown by releasing this is actually crazy. Bioware is smart that they catered to the forever lonely crowd by making DA2 into middle ages mass effect with commander hawke and his harem. I don't think this would have ever selled without the prospect of middle age fat balding men and hambeast whales modding the game for their bishonen romance dreams. Oh wait, this game didn't ship with a toolkit. Good thin they made every character bisexual then. I can't wait until they release the marriage dlc so I can finally take isabelle on the honey moon she really deserves.…Expand

This isn't a RPG! It's a hack'n'slash! There is nothing else to say: it's a game for casual gamers! At technical level there's only one interesting thing: the soundtrack! Everything else it's really really poor!

At the time of writing this, the user score (based on 143 ratings) is *3.6*; the critic score (based on 12 ratings (11 "positive")) is 8.4. You could not have a more embarrassingly obvious exposition of the vapid, dead vacuum-of-integrity that is games journalism. Really, it should be obvious to everyone now that the people who wrote these reviews don't have a single atom of sincerity orAt the time of writing this, the user score (based on 143 ratings) is *3.6*; the critic score (based on 12 ratings (11 "positive")) is 8.4. You could not have a more embarrassingly obvious exposition of the vapid, dead vacuum-of-integrity that is games journalism. Really, it should be obvious to everyone now that the people who wrote these reviews don't have a single atom of sincerity or regard for truth. As far as the game itself is concerned, it's a lobotomized, bordering on the retarded, dumb-down of a game which was itself a lobotomized rehash (of the Baldur's Gate series). You really could not remove more depth from this if you were desperate to. We're at rock-bottom here, and hopefully that means the only way is up. Generic, unremarkable, uninspired, utterly forgettable fast-food for the masses. Nobody who worked on this should be proud.…Expand

Up until release of this game, I was cursing the name of EA, and to a lesser extent Bioware, for gouging their customers with endless amounts of DLC and maiming their game in the name of money, more money and even more money. I was sure, absolutely and completely sure, that the game would be amazing, that when it came out all my fears and hatreds would be allayed and I would be dining inUp until release of this game, I was cursing the name of EA, and to a lesser extent Bioware, for gouging their customers with endless amounts of DLC and maiming their game in the name of money, more money and even more money. I was sure, absolutely and completely sure, that the game would be amazing, that when it came out all my fears and hatreds would be allayed and I would be dining in a smorgasbord of RPG wonderfullness punctuated by plot, intrigue, character development and strategic gameplay that rivaled the best RPGs ever made.

And then the game came out. And then I knew, exactly, why EA was gouging people for money.

Because the game sucked. Because the plot was linear, unexciting and predictable. Because there was no character development. Because everything that could be fun and important in the story was skipped over in a cinematic. Because there was no causality, there was no flow, there was absolutely no explanations given for extremely important bits of plot development aside from some badly voice acted dwarf telling a story to some equally as badly voiced french chick.

Why? Why was all of this skipped over? Why was all of this glossed over and forgotten and put on the shelf? Why did Bioware literally go through potentially one of their biggest and most beloved franchises with a blowtorch and acid?

Because NOW, dear readers, Darkspawn explode into BLOOD when you kill them! And so do people! And you swing a sword around really fast and do this really cool thing where you slide on the floor and 'scythe' through a bunch of mobs and then make a sweeping arc with your sword and take out enemies and then OMG another wave of enemies appear and THEY TOO EXPLODE INTO BITS OF BLOOD. IF YOU STUB YOUR TOE, THE ROOM IS FULL OF BLOOD.

Dragon Age 2 is a travesty. It is the apex of companies attempting and failing to bring their games to a console audience for the sake of brand recognition and more money. It is the absolute failure of Electronic Arts and Bioware.

They managed, somehow, to take a good game, a good franchise, something that would have taken minimal work to make into an excellent sequel, and run it into the ground like a mole machine.

Wow, can you say dumbed down? This game is terrible. From the terrible Playstation 2 quality graphics to the ridiculous button mashing gameplay that seems to be design more for a mentally challenged fratboy than any serious role playing games fan. There are no redeeming qualities to this abomination. The original Dragon Age was no masterpiece of narrative, but at least it's story wasWow, can you say dumbed down? This game is terrible. From the terrible Playstation 2 quality graphics to the ridiculous button mashing gameplay that seems to be design more for a mentally challenged fratboy than any serious role playing games fan. There are no redeeming qualities to this abomination. The original Dragon Age was no masterpiece of narrative, but at least it's story was competent. Dragon Age 2 on the other hand is the epiphany of terrible story telling. But not only has Bioware ruined this one game with their cliched and moronic revelations, they have destroyed everything that was even remotely interesting from the Dragon Age Universe. In truth, Dragon Age 2 deserves a score of -10/10, because not only is the game terrible, but it has also destroy what was once one of the best Western role playing franchises ever created.…Expand

Ive never reviewed a game on here before, but after about 10-15 hours into this, i just could not do it anymore. i needed to tell people not to buy this game. you might argue that that game has good RP systems, or whatever, and it dosent deserve a flat out 0, mabye a 3 or 4, but a game that when i play it, all i want to do is **** STOP playing it, deserves a 0 in my eyes. god i hope i canIve never reviewed a game on here before, but after about 10-15 hours into this, i just could not do it anymore. i needed to tell people not to buy this game. you might argue that that game has good RP systems, or whatever, and it dosent deserve a flat out 0, mabye a 3 or 4, but a game that when i play it, all i want to do is **** STOP playing it, deserves a 0 in my eyes. god i hope i can get my money back on this junk.

it is a total insult to all DA:O fans, and PC gamers in general. terrible console port, from a company that once made such great games. Bioware, if you are reading this, do NOT let your DA team ANYWHERE near Mass Effect 3.…Expand

The amount of effort spent on making the game playable has all but been completely overshadowed by superficial additions to make the game look more appealing. Even so, graphical errors and awkward visuals are abound. Very sad day for RPGs, Bioware has lost its touch completely. Will we ever see a game as good as Neverwinter Nights again? Not if DA2 is any indication.

My God this is SO awful that i can't even describe it. Baldur's Gate they say? HAH!!! Bioware is drowning deeper every time. Few years will pass and they gonna make us just stand at the center of the world, killing waves of monsters and sometimes talking bullsh*t with party members. If you care for your artistic taste DO NOT buy it. Greatest disappointment of the year.

Biggest disappointment of the year. From the Mass Effect copy pasted dialogue wheel, to the terrible graphics regardless if the settings are set on the highest possible settings. Combat that has devolved into nothing but a button mash festival irregardless of the difficulty settings. Dragon Age 2 was an experiment, a failed one at that. Bioware was clearly testing to see if Mass Effect's 2Biggest disappointment of the year. From the Mass Effect copy pasted dialogue wheel, to the terrible graphics regardless if the settings are set on the highest possible settings. Combat that has devolved into nothing but a button mash festival irregardless of the difficulty settings. Dragon Age 2 was an experiment, a failed one at that. Bioware was clearly testing to see if Mass Effect's 2 lazy, casual formulaic gameplay style would translate well into the Dragon Age universe. ME2 has its fans amongst sad lonely people with no lives and Gears of War fanboys. Sadly Dragon Age fans aren't that stupid. Though we were stupid enough to purchase Dragon Age 2.…Expand

This is probably the worst RPG I have ever played. I have a hard time even calling it an RPG. I don't even know what to classify it as. Interactive movie, maybe? I really didn't like the first Dragon Age, but it wasn't that bad. I never got around to beating it. My friends kept telling me how awesome this game will be and I checked out reviews which gave it a really high score. From theThis is probably the worst RPG I have ever played. I have a hard time even calling it an RPG. I don't even know what to classify it as. Interactive movie, maybe? I really didn't like the first Dragon Age, but it wasn't that bad. I never got around to beating it. My friends kept telling me how awesome this game will be and I checked out reviews which gave it a really high score. From the sound of the reviews it looked to be GOTY quality. I bought it and played it and was unimpressed through about an hour playing. I just wanted to get through with playing it and it was so repetitive after only an hour. I can't take it any more and I had my stomach sink like when you lose money. I felt like I had been scammed and that my $60 was wasted. I really hate judging a game without even beating it but I just don't have to willpower to wade through this game. Bioware could of at least spent some of the money on commercials for this game on the development instead. It played like World of Warcraft. It was horrible and the only thing I liked about it was the fire that looked pretty cool.…Expand

I've played the first part of the game (PC version). Well, DA2 is absolutely below any average expectation, an insult to RPG games: the combat mechanics are directly mutuated by a consolish system which simply brings the player to "press a button repeatedly" (or by clicking in my case)... And "something awesome" DOESN'T HAPPEN. Animations are mediocre and feels like watching a japaneseI've played the first part of the game (PC version). Well, DA2 is absolutely below any average expectation, an insult to RPG games: the combat mechanics are directly mutuated by a consolish system which simply brings the player to "press a button repeatedly" (or by clicking in my case)... And "something awesome" DOESN'T HAPPEN. Animations are mediocre and feels like watching a japanese cartoon. During dialogues, npc's are stuck like mannequins and facial animations are poor. Did I say dialogues? Oh, yes... Dialogues are simply awful, are they written by a 12 years old boy? They are poor in content and in words themselves, with no "verve" and inspiration, the same fantasy rpg-like pattern always replicated. Well... Wow! Technically the game is discreet, neither generous in details, nor scandalously lacking of polygons (don't expect something great anyway). To finish, the plot isn't interesting at all, there is a sensation of deja-vu everywhere, and voice acting doesn't help. A reccomendation: don't buy this game and wait for The Witcher 2.…Expand

This review contains spoilers.
My experience with Dragon Age 2 has been a complete mess (similar to all the Bioware/EA PR incidents that have been happening lately) since I picked the game up on release date, fully regretting it. While the presentation, graphics and sound of the game are bordering on average the biggest difficulty lies with this less than mediocre game relying on the name of it's predecessor for sales while failing in all the areas that should have been improved. While the graphical style is good and does make for a nice looking game the extremely low resolution textures and terrible models of certain people in Kirkwall stand out extremely badly, not only that but because every location in the game is repeated ad naueseum you notice it every single time. There is literally nothing in the soundtrack that stands out compared to some of the tracks in DA:O that really drives home the point that the composer mentioned in an IGN interview about being rushed by EA to push the game out as soon as possible. Now it is the gameplay that really causes the game to fall apart and where the poor work that was put into the game is clearest. The two main portions of the game- combat and conversation- were terribly done due to their desire to appeal to as many non-RPG fans as possible without attempting to cater to their true fanbase, the most insulting part of the game. The combat was pointless and repetitive where fights without 20 enemies falling out of the sky as reinforcements was an oddity and a severe lack of tactics became obvious as I never had to make custom tactics on the hard difficulty. Conversation under the mass effect wheel was even worse than it was in mass effect with the vaguest statements being available on your "choices" which hardly change a thing in the game and only give you an illusion of having a decision. Not only that but the story was so terribly written it must be embarrassing for anyone from the original DA:O team to play through it: a refugee where everyone that you care about dies, constant fast-forwarding that give you no incite on your character, random plot devices being thrown in such as the lyrium idol turning into Meredith's sword which seemed more like a "HEY REMEMBER THIS FROM 3-6 YEARS AGO?", random DA:O cameos that make absolutely no sense without explanation, stupid decisions by NPCs that they make for no reason and without any explanation such as Orlin using blood magic, Merril being kidnapped without any mention and still having the ability to use her to save her from her own kidnapping, terribly written romances (obviously Twilight referenced)... I can't keep going on without feeling sad for the state of this sequel, Bioware and the current direction video games are taking. There isn't even any lasting appeal to the game as you already play through the same area 100 times by the end of the game anyway. The idea about centering the story and game around a single city and how it was influenced by your character and what changed during your life isn't a bad idea but the implementation where nothing else changes in the scenery and absolutely everything remains the same for the 7 years of gameplay just pulls away from any semblance of immersion this game can give you. Just save your money, you'll find way better RPGs from budget studios than you will from Bioware now it seems.…Collapse

Despite some advancement in storytelling approach and liberal borrowing from Bioware's Mass Effect approach to gameplay, Dragon Age 2 on the PC has a lot of bugs and is populated with re-used settings that make this feel like a play performed on a stage with two sets.

For a rushed product that is still battling bugs, the currently offered product still provides 40 hours of challenging and engaging gameplay. This combines to provide a good, but not great gaming experience.